Torrevieja Writers Circle

I was made to feel very welcome at the Torrevieja Writers Circle (TWC), just outside Alicante, yesterday.

Novelist Nik Morton heads the group of local expat writers, who had come to read their latest works, chat about markets and local trends and generally talk writing. It was good to see so many enthusiastic writers and to hear a range of work read out for comments.

Freda Lightfoot, novelist and author, made the long trip from Almeria to attend and was an interesting writer to talk to. The author of over thirty sagas of life in the north of England and several other works, she was able to offer experienced advice to the TWC members.

I talked, as asked, on my life and my work for the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. It is hard to pack several decades into half an hour and so I concentrated my talk on the value of building up and utilising life experience when writing. To illustrate this point I picked out such of my interests that have been particularly invaluable to me, for example, directing amateur dramatics, fund raising for local charities and the strange chance things that can happen when you least expect it, such as meeting an elephant in Starbucks. I illustrated some of these points by circulating articles in magazines which I have recently had published.

I then spoke on the Society of Women Writers and Journalists (SWWJ) and the services this 115 year old professional organisation can offer to writers of all genres and both sexes, whether published or working towards publication. I am the new editor of The Woman Writer, the SWWJs magazine, which builds on my experience of editing ACOCI Connection in the British West Indies and other magazines in the past, most notably for the British Women´s Association in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A short question and answer session finished the talk.

Nik Morton has written on the session for the TWC blogsite, which can be read here.

I would like to thank the Torrevieja Writers Circle for inviting me to their meeting.